Legislature not likely to change Electoral College

With a push from republicans in other states to change laws regarding the Electoral College, many are wondering if Oklahoma will follow suit.

Carmen Bourlon

With a push from republicans in other states to change laws regarding the Electoral College, many are wondering if Oklahoma will follow suit.

Republican leaders in states such as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are considering changing their laws regarding the Electoral College, the official body that elects the president. Laws in these states are similar to Oklahoma’s law, which is the winner of the popular vote takes all of the electorates.

These states are considering moving toward a more proportionate system, based on percentages.

District 17 Senator Ron Sharp, a republican, said he had not seen any legislation relating to this filed for this session of state legislature. He added that if any came up he would likely oppose it.

“I would be very hesitant about something like that,” Sharp said.

He explained the Electoral College is historical, and that it maintains our two party system. Countries with more than two parties are typically very unstable, he added.

Sharp said without the Electoral College, states with smaller populations would not have equal footing with states with larger populations.

States like Oklahoma, with populations that don’t compare to states like California, would never receive any campaigning, he said. Candidates would not stop here, but would instead focus on the states with larger populations, Sharp added.

“There’s just too many factors that people don’t understand,” he said.